Private Tour To Pyramids of Giza Memphis Saqqara With Lunch

The pyramids are only the beginning. This private seven-hour tour gives you a full sweep of ancient Egypt, from the Great Pyramid and Sphinx to Saqqara’s Step Pyramid and the old capital at Memphis. You also get a camel ride behind the Giza pyramids and a traditional Egyptian lunch, two touches that make the day feel more than a quick photo stop.

I especially like the private guide and air-conditioned vehicle, since you can ask questions and move at your own pace within the planned schedule. I also like the route itself: Giza brings the famous sights, while Saqqara and Memphis add the older, less familiar chapters. The main drawback is clear: entrance fees are not included, so your final cost will be higher than the advertised $35 per person.

The experience begins with hotel pickup in Cairo or Giza at 8:00 am. It is a good fit if you want the major pyramid sites handled in one day without arranging several separate rides. Just remember that this is a busy schedule, and Giza, Saqqara, and Memphis each deserve more time than a single day can really provide.

Key points to know before you book

• Three major ancient sites in one day: Visit Giza, Saqqara, and Memphis instead of seeing the pyramids alone.
• Private touring for your group: You do not share the activity with other participants, which makes questions and timing easier.
• Camel ride behind the pyramids: The ride offers a classic desert experience and a different angle on the Giza complex.
• Hotel pickup at 8:00 am: Pickup is offered from hotels in either Cairo or Giza in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• Lunch is part of the experience: A traditional Egyptian meal at a local restaurant breaks up the sightseeing.
• Plan for extra admission costs: Entry tickets are not included in the $35 price.

Starting at Giza with the three great pyramids

Your morning starts with pickup from your hotel in Cairo or Giza. The stated departure time is 8:00 am, and the tour uses an air-conditioned vehicle, a welcome feature in Egypt’s heat. The drive time depends on your hotel location and traffic, but the private setup means your group is not waiting for a large coach to collect people across the city.

Giza is the part of the day you already know from photographs. The three main pyramids belong to Cheops, Chephren, and Mykerinos, with the Great Pyramid of Cheops taking the lead in size and fame. Seeing all three together helps you understand the layout of the plateau, rather than treating the Great Pyramid as an isolated monument.

Your guide explains the purpose and setting of the pyramids while you take in the scale. This is where a good guide matters. One highly praised guide was Omar, who was described as friendly, clear, and willing to do more than expected. You should feel free to ask for help with the history, the best photo angles, or the order in which to see the monuments.

The Giza portion lasts about three hours. That sounds generous, but it passes quickly once you include transport around the plateau, explanations, photographs, the Sphinx, and the camel ride. I would not expect a slow, museum-style study of every monument. You are getting a well-packed introduction to the main sights.

Admission is not included. This is the most important cost detail to keep in mind. At $35 per person, the tour price covers the guide, vehicle, bottled water, coffee or tea, and the planned sightseeing service, but you must budget separately for the required entrance tickets.

Meeting the Sphinx and Valley Temple

The Great Sphinx is included in the Giza visit, along with the Valley Temple. The Sphinx has the body of a lion and the head of King Chephren, the ruler associated with the second pyramid. It served as a guardian figure beside the funerary complex, and its location makes sense once your guide points out how the monuments worked together.

The Valley Temple is described as the place where priests mummified the dead body of King Chephren. You can also get a close view of the Sphinx from this area. That pairing is useful because you are not simply checking off a famous statue. You are seeing the Sphinx in relation to the temple and pyramid complex around it.

The tour description places special emphasis on helping you escape Giza’s persistent hawkers. A private guide cannot erase every sales pitch, but having a local professional with you gives the visit more structure. You can focus on the monuments instead of trying to negotiate every approach on your own.

Take your time with photographs, but listen for instructions from your guide. The Giza plateau is the place where many people rush from one famous view to another. A private tour gives you a better chance to pause and understand what you are looking at, even if the overall day remains tightly scheduled.

Riding a camel behind the pyramids

The camel ride is one of the tour’s three classic Egyptian experiences. It takes place in the desert behind the pyramids, giving you a view that differs from the standard front-facing photographs. The pyramids remain the focus, but the ride adds the feel of open sand and a slower way to see the setting.

I would treat the camel ride as a short cultural experience rather than a serious animal trek. The supplied details do not state its exact length, so you should not book this expecting a long ride across the desert. Its value is the memory, the photographs, and the chance to experience Giza in a traditional way.

This is also the point where practical clothing helps. Wear shoes you can walk in and clothing suited to sun and dust. Bottled water is provided, and coffee or tea is included, but you should still use the water as the day warms up.

The camel ride may be the most memorable extra for some people and the least important part for others. If you are excited by the idea, it adds real value to the day. If you prefer archaeology over activities, remember that the pyramids, Sphinx, Saqqara, and Memphis are the core of the tour.

Saqqara and the Step Pyramid of Zoser

After Giza, you continue to Saqqara, about 27 kilometers southwest of Cairo. The visit lasts around two hours, making it the second-longest stop on the schedule. This is a good choice because Saqqara gives you a different kind of pyramid story.

The Step Pyramid was built for King Zoser and is considered an important stage in the development of pyramid design. Its shape helps you picture the move from the earlier mastaba form toward the smooth-sided pyramids that became Egypt’s most famous architectural symbol.

At Giza, the focus is scale and recognition. At Saqqara, the focus is development and change. I like this contrast because it gives the day a clear thread. You are not seeing three unrelated places. You are following the growth of royal tomb building across different periods.

Saqqara also helps prevent the tour from becoming one long repeat of pyramid photographs. The setting and monument are different from Giza, and your guide can connect the two sites. Since the entrance fee is not included here either, ask your guide or the operator for the current ticket details when you book or before departure.

The two-hour visit is enough for a solid introduction, but it will not cover every part of the Saqqara area. The tour has to continue to Memphis, so you should expect a focused visit rather than a full archaeological survey.

Lunch at a local Egyptian restaurant

A traditional Egyptian lunch is included in the day’s plan at a local restaurant. This is more than a convenient meal break. After several hours in the sun and around major monuments, sitting down for food gives you a chance to rest before the final stop.

The supplied details do not specify the exact dishes or restaurant name, so I would not promise a particular menu. You can expect the meal to be presented as a local Egyptian lunch, but ask about ingredients if you have dietary needs.

The timing is useful. Without lunch, this route could feel like a string of monuments connected by car rides. A meal creates a pause between the outdoor sightseeing and the visit to Memphis. Coffee and tea are also included, along with bottled water.

Because the tour is private, you may have a little more opportunity to discuss the day with your guide over lunch. The guide’s warmth and communication were among the most praised parts of the experience, with repeated praise for friendly service, smiles, laughter, and strong historical explanations.

Memphis, the ancient capital near Cairo

The final sightseeing stop is Memphis, about one hour in the schedule. Memphis was the ancient capital of Egypt and dates back to around 3100 B.C. That early date gives the stop a different purpose from Giza and Saqqara. You are looking at the remains and surviving pieces of a city tied to the beginnings of ancient Egyptian state power.

The main highlights named for the visit are the colossal statue of Ramses II and the great Alabaster Sphinx. These monuments help you picture Memphis as a major royal and religious center, even though the experience is not the same as walking through a large intact city.

One hour is brief, so I would keep your expectations sensible. You will see the principal sights and receive an explanation, but you will not have unlimited time to wander. Memphis works well as the final chapter because it rounds out the story: Giza shows royal tombs at their most famous, Saqqara shows an earlier design stage, and Memphis provides the capital-city setting.

The route also makes sense geographically. Saqqara is close to Cairo, and Memphis follows as part of the same southern excursion before the return to your hotel. You avoid arranging separate transport to each site, which is one of the strongest practical reasons to choose this tour.

What the $35 price really covers

At $35 per person, this is a low advertised price for a private day of guiding, transport, lunch, and three major sightseeing areas. The value is strongest if you want convenience and a guide but do not want to arrange a car, driver, and separate historical explanations yourself.

The word private matters here. Only your group participates, so you are not joining a large shared coach. That can make the day feel calmer, especially at Giza, where a fixed group schedule and repeated pickups could waste time.

Still, do not treat $35 as the complete cost. Entrance fees are excluded at Giza, Saqqara, and Memphis. The final amount depends on the admission prices required for the sites, and you should plan for those costs before deciding that this is a bargain.

The price includes an air-conditioned vehicle, an English-speaking guide, bottled water, coffee or tea, and lunch according to the tour plan. Pickup is offered from Cairo or Giza hotels. Group discounts may also be available, which could improve the value if you are booking for several people.

The experience is booked, on average, eight days ahead. That is a useful planning clue, especially if you have fixed Cairo dates. I would not leave it until the last minute if you specifically want a private guide and an 8:00 am departure.

Who will get the most from this tour?

This tour suits a first visit to Cairo when you want the headline sights covered in one organized day. It also works well if you have limited time and want more than Giza alone. The combination of pyramids, Sphinx, camel ride, lunch, Saqqara, and Memphis gives you a broad first look at ancient Egypt.

You will probably like it if you value personal attention. A private guide can explain the monuments in plain language, answer your questions, and help you manage the flow of the day. The strongest praise for this experience centers on the guide’s communication, friendliness, historical explanations, and care from pickup through departure.

It may not suit you if you want a slow archaeological study. Three sites, a camel ride, lunch, and transport in roughly seven hours mean the pace is active. You will see important highlights, but you will not have endless time at any one location.

Most people can participate, according to the supplied details. The tour is near public transportation, though pickup is offered from Cairo and Giza hotels. If you have mobility concerns or specific access needs, confirm the details before booking, since the information provided does not describe the surfaces, walking distances, or camel-riding arrangements.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time. Changes or cancellations within 24 hours are not accepted for a refund.

Should you book the Giza, Saqqara, and Memphis tour?

I would book this tour if you want an efficient private introduction to Cairo’s ancient monuments, especially on a first visit. The strongest reasons are the private vehicle, English-speaking guide, camel ride, local lunch, and route that reaches Saqqara and Memphis as well as Giza.

Before paying, confirm the entrance fees and ask any questions about the lunch and camel ride. If you accept the extra ticket costs and the brisk schedule, $35 is a sensible starting price for a day that combines transport, guiding, food, and several major sites.

Choose it for range and convenience, not for slow, detailed exploration. You will leave with the classic pyramid experience, a clearer sense of how Egyptian tomb design developed, and a look at Memphis, the ancient capital that many short Cairo tours skip.

FAQ

What time does the tour begin?

Pickup starts at 8:00 am from your hotel in Cairo or Giza.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts approximately seven hours.

Is the tour private?

Yes. Only your group participates in the activity.

Are entrance fees included?

No. Entrance fees for Giza, Saqqara, and Memphis are not included in the tour price.

Is lunch included?

Yes. The experience includes a traditional Egyptian lunch at a local restaurant.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the experience starts for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made within 24 hours are not accepted for a refund.